Chris Evans is Captain America!

Remember the guy whose picture is right above this lettering? Remember how much you hated that film he was involved in? Well, get ready to see him donning a new pair of tights when he stars in next year's big budget adaption of one of Marvel's most loved hero, Captain America!
















Marvel Studios has officially signed Chris Evans on to star in not only The First Avenger: Captain America, but in the two sequels that would follow if the film is as successful as Marvel believes it will be. Director Joe Johnston is set to begin shooting in June 2010.

The Princess and the Frog (Review)

The Princess and the Frog

Directed By: Ron Clements & John Musker
Starring the Voice Talents Of: Anika Noni Rose, Bruno Campos, Keith David, Jim Cummings, John Goodman, Oprah Winfrey, Jenifer Lewis , Jennifer Cody


What’s It About

Tiana’s dream is to one day open up a big fancy restaurant hoping to fulfill a dream her father could not. She spends her time overworking herself without giving any thought to having someone share all her hard work with. That’s when Prince Naveen comes in and through a series of events, the two are sent down the bayou in a whimsical adventure that will test Tiana’s heart and Naveen’s understanding of what true love is. “It’s not enough to just wish on a star. You have to help it along with some hard work of your own.”

Thoughts

So… this is Disney’s “big” comeback to classic animation. Since the release of 1999’s Tarzan, audiences have been waiting patiently for Disney to get back on track with what they’ve always done best, classic fairy tales. In fact, have you ever noticed that for the most part, whenever Disney makes an animated feature NOT based on an already well established story, chances are it will tank? With The Princess and the Frog, Disney gets it half right with taking a classic fairy tale story but then messes with a winning formula by changing everything else to fit it’s “modern” take on an old favorite. You would think that after Treasure Planet they would know better… oh well.

It’s not to say that the Princess and the Frog is a bad movie, per se. A lot of what doesn’t sit well with me is in the setting. Why the 1920’s and not some timeless place? Why some “prince” that has apparently been around the block one too many times with the ladies and not someone that is honorable? Lastly, why does the film have to throw in all this modern mumbo jumbo to stay “relevant” to today’s modernistic ways? Why can’t wishing on a star just be wishing on a star?

To be fair, I did still enjoy Disney’s 49th animated feature. While I wasn’t too fond of Prince Neveen and his assistant Lawrence, the rest of the cast did a wonderful job at keeping everyone smiling and humming along with every musical piece. And speaking of the cast, special notice should be given to Doctor Facilier a.k.a. Shadowman who was just such a fun villain that you would wish more time were spent on him. The song and dance numbers never felt forced and were very catchy thanks to the great work of Randy Newman.

This wasn’t the triumphant return to classic animation from Disney that I was expecting. There are those films that you watch and you immediately know they will hold a place in your collective memory bank as something special, then there are the ones you watch, you like, and you go on. This one falls in the latter of the two.

Memorable Moment

Louis, the jazz trumpet playing alligator, recalls a moment in his life when in an attempt to be part of a jazz playing quartet, he jumps in the middle of a jam session with trumpet in hand only to freak out the group and get shot at as he jumps off the boat! LOL

FYI

Princess Tiana is the first black character to enter the line of Disney Princesses.

Score

7 out of 10

The Last Airbender Posters

If you have ever watched the Nickelodeon animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender, chances are you are salivating at the idea that in just five more months you will witness a live action rendition based on the first season. While the official trailer is not slated for release until Super Bowl XLIV, here are a couple of one sheet posters to hold you at bay. M. Night Shyamalan's The Last Airbender will be hitting theatres on July 2nd.

Clash of the Titans Trailer

Clash of the Titans is a remake of the 1981 film that starred Harry Hamlin as the mythical greek warrior Perseus. This remake is directed by Louis Leterrier, who brought us 2008's The Incredible Hulk and stars Sam Worthington, who is shaping up to be this generation's Arnold Schwarzenegger/ Sylvester Stallone. My only gripe with what I have seen from the trailer is the soundtrack. 300 is what kept coming to mind, and while a rock soundtrack was acceptable for that spartan tale, in Clash of the Titans, it would just be overkill. On March 26th, 2010 the gods will come alive! Cheesy, I know.

Sony To Reboot Spiderman Franchise

I'm sure you've already read about Sony pulling the rug on Sam Raimi and choosing to reboot the Spiderman franchise. My wife was the first to break the news to me and in disbelief I immediately went to every movie website to get some clarification. Just in case you haven't read about it, here's the short version:

Sony has decided to reboot the Spiderman franchise after a series of creative battles with directer Sam Raimi. The new plan is to put Peter Parker and company back in High School and possibly take advantage of the new 3D technology to help boost it's ticket sales.

Now, I don't know about most of you, but I believe Raimi had pulled out a great series of Spidey films. Sure, the third one could have done without the dance numbers and Venom (He should have been the main villain in a separate Spidey film.), but it really wasn't the mess that most made it out to be. Raimi is a great director and it was his vision that helped the Spiderman films gain the attention and respect from fans and critics, not to mention all the money that it made for Sony.

Rebooting franchises has become a big thing for Hollywood studios. But, you normally do this with a franchise that did really poorly OR enough time has gone by that it is ok to reintroduce it to a new generation. Spiderman does not fall in this category. Sony is really playing Russian Roulette with it's arachnid friend.

YEAR END TOP 10!

Welcome to Now Showing’s first YEAR END TOP 10!

Before I go into my top ten there are a couple of things you need to keep in mind. Though I tried to watch as many films as I could this year, you can only spend so much before you start slipping on your rent! Just because I haven’t previously reviewed it on my site, it doesn’t necessarily mean I didn’t see it. I do have a life… sort of. And now, in no particular order, the 2009 YEAR END TOP 10!


1.An Education- The buzz around this gem has been Carey Mulligan’s breakout performance as a sixteen year old girl who gets involved with a much older man who gives her a life a young woman could only dream of. You’ll fall in love with this pre-Beatles era picture!

To read my full review on this film CLICK HERE.



2.Public Enemies- Michael Mann’s film about John Dillinger may have divided critics when it came to the technology that was used to film this period piece but there is no dividing anyone when it comes to the sheer energy its cast displays on screen. Johnny Deep leads an all star cast featuring great performances by Billy Crudup, Marion Cutillard and Christian Bale.

To read my full review on this film
CLICK HERE.
3.Star Trek- I never, ever thought that a Star Trek film would come out and cream the Star Wars franchise! J.J. Abrams and company got us all excited for space operas again! May the force… I mean, live long and prosper!






4.Up- Pixar can do no wrong in my eyes. Who knew that an animated story about a house floating on balloons and a cranky old man could bring tears to those who watch? Only Pixar.

To read my full review on this film CLICK HERE.



5.(500) Days of Summer- This is not a love story. It’s a break up story. But you’re going to watch it anyway because we are all suckers for a good breakup story, or is it just me? Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschannel are irresistible as the doomed couple!





6.Invictus- I know that the promotional posters for Clint Eastwood’s latest project put Matt Damon front and center, but it is Morgan Freeman who carries the film as Nelson Mandela (In the role he was born to play), during the 1995 Rugby World Cup in South Africa. This is an inspiring look at the man who was not willing to allow his past to dictate how he viewed others and how a rugby team brought a whole nation together.


7.Red Cliff- John Woo’s epic about the battle at Red Cliff is brilliant. His work in this film has been compared to Akira Kurosawa’s own masterpieces. If you like sword and sandal films like Braveheart and Gladiator, look no further than Red Cliff!

To read my full review on this film CLICK HERE.



8.Where The Wild Things Are- This Royal Rumpus tugged at my heart with a warm performance by Max Records as the child who his mother called, “WILD THING!” Spike Jonzes was determined to make this an experience that reminds us of our own youth and how fragile we were at one point. Well done.

To read my full review on this film CLICK HERE.


9.The Damned United- “Those dirty, dirty Leeds!” Michael Sheen stars as the man who lasted only forty- four days as the Leeds manager, Brian Clough. Peter Morgan’s script, who’s past work includes The Queen and Frost/ Nixon, is brilliant and brings a dimension to The Damned United that would not have been possible through anyone else.

To read my full review on this film CLICK HERE.

10.Terminator Salvation- People can hate on this film all they want but the reality is that it WAS a great action movie! It may not have James Cameron’s hand print but it does respect the world he created. I really am hoping this is not the last we see of the war against the machines.

To read my full review on this film CLICK HERE.


Honorable Mentions: District 9, The Men Who Stare at Goats

Box Office Results

December 25th- 27th


1/ Avatar $75,000,000

2/ Sherlock Holmes $65,380,000

3/ Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel $50,200,000

4/ It's Complicated $22,114,000

5/ Up In The Air $11,755,000

The Karate Kid Trailer

Jaden Smith stars in the role that put Ralph Macchio on teen magazines and in the hearts of millions of 80's kids around the world. Joining him to fill the shoes of our favorite wax on wax off karate master is none other than Jackie Chan. While I honestly want to despise the fact that they are even attempting to remake this classic, you can't deny that at least the trailer doesn't look half as bad.

Smith stars as Dre (not Daniel son), a game buff who relocates with his mother to China for an opportunity at a new life only to find that the folks there ain't too friendly. After being bullied, he meets Mr. Han (Chan), a maintenance man who teaches Dre how to kick butt!

The Karate Kid will Crane Kick into theatres June 11, 2010.